Piece of ordnance



y 1949- P. E. J. DENOIX 2,199,878

PIECE OF ORDNANCE Filed Dec. 27, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1940- P. E. J. DENOIX 2.199.878

PIECE OF ORDNANCE Filed Dec. 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ay 7, 9 0 P. E. J. DENOIX 2.199.878

PIECE OF ORDNANCE Filed Dec. 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 1940- P. E. J. DENOIX 2.199,878

PIECE OF ORDNANCE Filed Dec. 27, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 7, 1940 ilNiiEh s'rarss PATENT @FFEQE to Sageb,

Socit Anonyme dc Gestion et dExploitation de brevets, Fribourg, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Application December 27, 1937, Serial No. 181,972 In Switzerland December 31, 1936 1 Claim.

The invention relates to improvements in pieces of ordnance of the type which includes a gun barrel the breech of which is supported in front on a carriage and in the rear on a base plate or platform set on the ground, and a shock absorber interposed between the base plate and the carriage for the purpose of relieving the carriage from the reaction of the recoil. The breech of the gun and the shock absorber each comprises a head which fit together to form a sphere adapted to be locked in a cavity in the base plate, and the two heads are articulated to one another by a pin. A piece of ordnance of this type has been described in the co-pending application of E. W. Brandt, Ser. No. 135,571, filed April '7, 1937.

An object of the present invention is to provide a piece of ordnance of the above type wherein the cavity in the base plate or platform is cut away in such a manner as to enable the pin to be removed and the head of the breech to be withdrawn from the cavity without unlocking the head of the shock absorber. Such an arrangement enables the gun barrel to be tilted for the purpose of extracting a projectile which has not been fired while keeping the shock absorber locked in the cavity of the base plate.

The compound sphere has fiats enabling it to be introduced into the cavity in th base plate or platform, this cavity exceeding one hemisphere in shape and the mouth is cut away so as to permit the introduction of the flattened sphere. The sphere is then looked in position by rotating the base plate in relation to the sphere through a fraction of its periphery.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in. conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example, one embodiment thereof, and in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a mortar in the position of repose according to the present invention, the broken lines indicating the position at the moment of recoil.

Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal sections of one of the members of the shock absorber, in the neutral and operative positions respectively;

Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the entire shock absorber;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the valve on a larger scale.

Fig. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII of Fig. 4-, of the articulation of the heads of the breech and shock absorber, the whole being assumed in the locked position in a cavity of the ground plate.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the articulation of Fig. '7, in the locked position;

Fig. 9 is a section along the line IXIX of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 10 is a section showing the articulation members in the unlocked position.

Fig. 11 is a side View of Fig. '7, particularly showing the cut-out portion.

Fig. 1 shows a mortar comprising a barrel 1 supported, in the rear, on a platform 2 and, in front, on a carriage 3 by means of a sleeve 4 in which the barrel is adapted to slide freely at the moment of the recoil, said sleeve being articulated, at 5, on toothed quadrants 6 turning on trunnions 1 of the carriage 3. This latter is adapted to slide on a support 3 carried by the axle 9 on which are keyed the wheels in. Interposed between the carriage 3 and platform 2 is a resilent connecting device comprising the two main members of the shock absorber l l, which are interconnected by crosspieces l2 and I3 (Fig. 4), the second of which carries a head formed by two spherical knobs, Isa and I317, intended to fit into a cavity H1 in the platform 2.

Each main member of the shock absorber comprises an outer cylinder H, integral with the crosspiece I3, and a tube l5, adapted to slide in the cylinder H and integral with the crosspiece l2, articulated to the carriage by means of the pivot pin 16 (Figs. 1 and 2). The tube [5 houses a third tube ll, integral with the crosspiece l3. Finally, a rod l8 carrying a piston head 9, is also adapted to slide inside the tube l1, and is guided, near its forward end by an extension 20 of the tube l5.

The head i9 is pierced by bores 2! (Fig. 6) adapted to be closed by a valve 22, held in the closing position by a spring 23. At is other end, the rod l8 carries a roller 24 cooperating with a track 25 on the gun carriage. Ordinarily, a spring 26, bearing against a flange 21 of the tube H, on the one hand, with the aid of a packing ring 28, and, on the other hand, against the head l9 of the piston, holds the members in the position shown in Fig. 2. The ring 28 may, with advantage, be provided with packing grooves 29, in order to prevent fluid contained in the tube l9, from escaping from in front of the ring 28 towards the rear of the latter, or vice versa, as the ring travels in the tube ll.

The shock absorber operates in the following manner:

When the shot is fired, the barrel I recoils,

carrying with it the platform 2, which tends to embed itself in the ground (shown by broken lines in Fig. l). The crosspiece I3, secured to the platform 2 by the head I311, I317 of the shock absorber locked in the cavity I4, also recoils,

\ drawing with it the outer cylinder II and tube I7, integral therewith (Fig. 3). The crosspiece l2 integral with the tube l5 remains practically at rest, by inertia, and the same applies to the piston rod l8 connected to the carriage by the roller 24.

This relative movement of the members compresses the spring 26, and may, on occasion be accompanied by a tilting of the shock absorber about the joint I 6. The air compressed in the chamber 33 by the movement of the packing ring 28, passes into the chamber 34 by opening the valve 22.

The return into firing position is effected by the spring 26. During this movement the air compressed in the chamber 34 assists in keeping the valve 22 closed, and can escape, only in a gradual manner through the narrow clearance space between the piston l9 and the wall of the tube I7, thereby retarding the return of the members into their original position and preventing any heavy shock to the tubes i5 and II, at 36.

The air employed as braking medium, in the embodiment shown, can obviously be replaced by any other suitable fluid, such as oil, glycerine or the like.

The same braking device, although shown as applied to a special shock absorber with two pistons interposed between the carriage and the platform, can obviously be fitted to shock absorbers with one, or several, pistons interposed between the carriage and gun barrel, such as those described in the French Patent Specifications No. 593,782 and 785,171, and Swiss Patent Specification No. 126,841.

It is obvious that the positions of the cylinders and pistons can be reversed, the fact whether they are firmly secured to the carriage or to the platform being immaterial.

The head 13a, I3b of the shock absorber is articulated to the platform 2 in the following manner. The interior surface of the cavity i l in the plate 2 is spherical and of the same diameter as the head of the shock absorber. In the cavity is provided a gap 40, shaped like a U in its midway section. The spherical knobs l3a, i373, forming the head of the shock absorber, comprise parallel flats dl, the spacing of which corresponds with that of the branches of the U enabling the head I311, I3b to be inserted into the cavity, and the locking of the same in position by means of a quarter turn of the plate. The breech of the barrel l terminates in a head 42, in the shape of a segment of a sphere, having the same diameter as the knobs I3a, I31) and a height corresponding with the distance between the bases of these latter.- This breech head is inserted between the knobs 13a, I 317 of the head of the shock absorber, to which it is articulated by a bolt 43 enabling the gun I to swing in the plane of fire. The bolt 43 is secured bymeans of a spring catch 44.

The ends of the bolt 43 register with cut-away parts 43a in the socket I4 so as to facilitate driving' out of the connection bolt 43 in order to separate the breech head from the head of the shock absorber.

If the need arises for tilting the gun in order to extract a projectile which has not been fired, all that is necessary is to drive out the bolt 43, by means of a tool, in order to free the breech head G2, the head 53a, l3b'0f the shock absorber still remaining locked in the cavity 14. When it is desired to release the head 13a, l3b of the shock absorber itself, the plate 2 has merely to be moved a quarter turn, in the opposite direction to the locking movement, in order to bring the flats 4i opposite the gap 40, and the head l3a, 131) can then be withdrawn from its housing.

The aforesaid articulation may, of course, be applied, not only in the case of the piece shown in the drawings, but also to all pieces of ordnance provided with a joint connection of the breech and a rear member of the carriage, in a cavity provided in a platform.

In short, it is self-evident that the invention has been illustrated and described solely by way of example, and that various modifications could be introduced without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A piece of ordnance comprising a barrel, a breech at the rear end of said barrel, a head on said breech, a wheeled carriage to support the front part of the barrel, a platform to be laid on the ground to support the breech of the barrel, said platform being formed with a cavity of more than hemispherical form, a shock absorber interposed between the platform and the wheeled carriage, a head on said shock absorber, the heads of the breech and of the shock absorber forming a sphere having flattened surfaces, a detachable bolt for attaching the breech head to the head of the shock absorber, whereas the platform cavity is formed with a gap permitting the introduction of the flattened sphere which is adapted to be locked in the cavity by rotation of the platform through a fraction of turn, said gap being set in such position, in relation to the mean plane of fire to allow the breech of the barrel to be freed and disengaged from the platform cavity independently from the head of the shock absorber.

PAUL EMILE JOSEPH DENOIX. 

